How Collectible Are Those 2000s Retro-Style Cars?
It’s about to be 2025, and that has us looking back a quarter of a century to the dawn of the new millennium. In the year 2000, Nokia released the indestructible 3310 cell phone, Sony released the PlayStation 2, and people were getting unlimited music for free on Napster. Kevin Spacey won the Oscar for Best Actor, back when people still liked Kevin Spacey. Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France, back when people still liked Lance Armstrong. The population of India reached 1 billion, the Elián González case was all over the news, and the Olympic Games were on NBC. DJ Carl Cox rang it in with two consecutive New Year’s Eve shows (the first in Sydney, then another in Hawaii after flying back over the International Date Line), and Y2K didn’t happen.
There was a lot of future talk in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in the car world a lot of manufacturers looked to the past. Styling cues from the 1930s, ’50s and ’60s made it onto both concept cars and showroom models throughout both decades. These “retro cars” started even earlier in the ’90s with Japanese companies, or arguably even earlier with the first 1989 Miata, which aped the 1960s Lotus Elan. Nissan came shortly after with retro cars like the Be-1, Pao and Figaro, while Toyota had the “Classic.” VW came out with the retro-look New Beetle in 1997 and Jaguar with the S-Type in 1999. BMW brought out ’50s 507 curves with the Z8 in 1999, and revived the Mini for 2001. Fiat played on ’50s and ’60s dolce vita with its revived 500 model in 2007. Toyota brought FJ40 Land Cruiser looks to the 20th century with its FJ Cruiser that same year.
Here at home, the Big Three did retro cars, too. Old-school styling came in through the muscle car revival with the 2005 Mustang, 2008 Challenger and 2010 Camaro. Further up, supercar buyers had the 1960s race car looks of the 2005-06 Ford GT, and further down, commuters with a taste for something different had the 2001-10 Chrysler PT Cruiser and 2006-11 Chevy HHR.
Three domestic retro cars, however, exemplify this design trend more than any other—the 2002-05 Thunderbird, 1999-2002 Prowler, and 2003-06 Chevy SSR. They’re over the top and perhaps a bit tacky, but in the context of today’s monochrome pill-shaped crossovers, it’s remarkable that they were built at all. Now that they’re getting old enough to be classics, how does the market treat them? And do these cars, which played on nostalgia when they were new, appeal to a new type of owner today?
2002-05 Ford Thunderbird
The 11th generation Ford Thunderbird was the very last, and ironically (or maybe poetically?) it took inspiration from the very first 1955-57 T-Birds, right down to the bright old-school colors and two-seat configuration. The T-Bird for the New Millennium shared its chassis and 3.9-liter V-8/5-speed automatic with Ford corporate cousins like the Jaguar S-Type and Lincoln LS while its wide grille, circular lights, hood scoop and available porthole hardtop were shameless ’50s throwbacks that contrasted hugely with the contemporary blandness of the 10th generation (1989-97) Thunderbird that came before it. The 2002-05 T-Bird isn’t sporty, but Ford never claimed it was.
Prices when new ranged from $35,495 for the base car to $39,795 with the porthole hardtop, and a limited run of 200 Neiman Marcus versions sold through the retailer’s famous Christmas catalog. A coral-colored T-Bird also got some screen time with Halle Berry in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day and Ford, never one to miss a marketing opportunity, built 700 “007” edition Thunderbirds like the one in the movie.
Values for these cars haven’t done much, and they’re roughly where they were a decade ago. The median condition #2 (“excellent”) value is $22,800, and #3 (“good”) is $11,300. The Neiman Marcus edition commands a little more at $25,800 in #2, and the most valuable is the 50th Anniversary at $29,500. Despite a build date that put them in the same company as many millennial and Gen Z favorites, T-Birds are way more popular with Florida retirees than they are with 20-something gearheads. Of the insurance quotes Hagerty gets for 2002-05 Thunderbirds, nearly two-thirds come from baby boomers, while just 2 percent come from millennials and 1 percent from Gen Z. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, though. These T-Birds were a 1950s nostalgia play when they were new, so it makes sense that they have the same core audience today.
1997-2002 Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler
Chrysler went absolutely wild in the 1990s with retro-styled concept cars like the Atlantic and the Chronos, but the Prowler is one that, remarkably, made it to production. After the Prowler concept was a star of the 1993 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler execs led by president Bob Lutz and design chief Tom Gale greenlit the 1930s throwback for the road.
The Prowler has been called a love letter to hot rods, but giving it a shrug-worthy 3.5-liter V-6 and 4-speed automatic was like writing that letter in crayon. To be fair, that V-6 was the only engine that would fit, and the Prowler’s structure featured extensive and advanced-for-the-time bonded aluminum. It was also just about the wildest-looking car you could drive out of a showroom in the late 1990s. But the Prowler will always be remembered for writing a check the powertrain couldn’t cash. About 11,700 were built, the last of them given Chrysler badges after the Plymouth brand disappeared in 2001.
We picked the Prowler for this year’s Hagerty Bull Market list, in which we select cars that are poised to grow in value, but it appears our crystal ball was a little foggy on that one. This is another car that’s worth almost exactly what it was a decade ago. The median condition #2 value is currently $31,900, and #3 is $25,300. The $5000 optional matching trailer is a bit of a gimmick, but gimmicks are fun and cars equipped with it can command a significant premium. So can certain colors like purple or yellow.
Few cars at this price point will grab people’s attention like a Prowler, but its hot rod heritage hasn’t translated to younger enthusiasts. Over 61 percent of buyer interest for Prowlers comes from baby boomers, while just 7 percent comes from millennials and less than 1 percent from Gen Z.
2003-06 Chevrolet SSR
Like the Prowler, there’s simply no way to ignore a Chevy SSR on the road. Similarly, it’s a completely ridiculous thing that, whether you love it or hate it, you have to be impressed that GM actually built it. Chevrolet first displayed the SSR (Super Sport Roadster) as a concept at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show. Given its looks and the simple fact that it was a two-seater convertible pickup truck, most people thought it would stay a concept. And yet it arrived in Chevy showrooms for the 2003 model year.
The SSR shares a platform with the contemporary TrailBlazer EXT, and the first examples got its 5.3-liter, 300-hp V-8 with a 4-speed automatic as well. Car and Driver said of the looks: “Part roadster, part truck, and part Van Halen, it’s a retro Yankee wrapped in concept-car spandex.”
In 2005, things got better when Chevrolet dropped in the LS2 V-8 from the C6 Corvette and Pontiac GTO, bumping performance to 390 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Remarkably, Chevrolet also offered a Tremec 6-speed manual. The SSR got a few more horsepower for 2006 (400 with the manual, 395 with the auto). This impractical, outrageous-looking pickup with the heart of a Corvette could keep up with most mid-level sports cars. In a straight line, at least.
While certainly eye-catching and fast enough for fun, the SSR cost over $40K when new and wasn’t a smash hit. It was basically too much of a sports car for truck buyers, and too much of a truck for sports car buyers. About 24,000 were built in total.
Today, the median condition #2 value for SSRs is $32,600, and #3 is $25,100. This is up slightly from the $29,400 value for #2 condition cars a decade ago, but not enough to keep up with inflation. LS2-powered versions are worth a few grand more than the 2003-04 versions, and 6-speeds carry a $5000 premium in our price guide. When it comes to buyer interest, there are few vehicles that skew more towards older customers than this one. Over 82 percent of insurance quotes for the SSR come from baby boomers or older, while just 3 percent come from millennials and 0(!) percent come from Gen Z.
I own a yellow 05 SSR. Love it a lot…just need not gun it at all in a curve. Rear wheel drive + LS2 = 💀
You’ll be able to re-run this story in 6 months, and all you’ll have to do is drop the relative values of each one by around $5,000.
Folks will be more scared about where they spend their money, and it won’t be on these cars.
The boomers are the last ones who still want to own any of these cars.
Time marches on…….
You “Could” be right as younger people seem to be Afraid to have anything “Different” –
Younger people want present day vehicles with lots of power. Not the old 30’s and 40’s cars that had class and style. Too bad. I have a ‘37 and ‘39 hot rod and they are awesome!
Yup–(More Power) That you can’t use anymore except at the track–
The niche market for vinyl records has been increasing. Just shows you never can tell what may be considered cool decades later. Same thing goes for fat nylon ties from the 1970’s. If someone finds a way to install parallel parking assist in these cars it could be a boost for the younger market.
A back-up camera can be a big help for backing and parallel parking for sure. I have 2 ’06 SSRs. Great for road trips. One over 300k and the other approching 200K. 🙂
cant give the SSR away or the T birds
Anyone giving a T Bird away, let me know. – A boomer.
Me too!
I’m first in line for a “free” SSR! (Another boomer.)
I think Ford really missed the mark with that retro T-Bird. Looked like a jelly-bean with the swooped curves fore and aft. Should have said the heck with the aerodynamics and gone Full Retro with the hooded, forward sloped headlights and the finned tail! Dodge got it right with the retro Challenger! “Almost” a carbon copy of the famed early edition Muscle Car!
Exactly! If they had done a good clone of the original ‘birds, they would probably be still selling them. And to call the SSR or 2010 & on Camaros retro is WAY off the mark. The Camaros look like the lead car in the movie CARS. If you notice on the street there’s a whole lot more late model Mustangs & Challengers than Camaros. While the SSRs are cool cars with power to match, they, like the Tbirds, went too far with trying to modernize a classic design
The T-Birds missed the mark because they lacked a manual transmission and V-8, which could have easily been borrowed from the Mustang lineup.
Collectible maybe. Desirable not.
Low power kills niche cars, but that doesn’t explain the SSR. I know one thing that hurts it is near unobtanium hydraulic convertible top parts
My SSR mechanic of many yrs, in Orlando area, sourced new hydraulic top parts from GM Brazil…new, several yrs ago. Still works wonderfully. Former good mechanics, GM dealers, national parts shops, all couldn’t locate the hydraulics. He also has sourced hard to find various sensors throughout the engine compartment. And, general store parking lot shoppers still ask what kind of car, Ha! Always a thumbs up, wherever I go with it. Still at 221k mi. Thank you Amsoil.
I have a 2005 SSR , love it. I sold my 2015 Vette due to back pain, making ingress and egress painful. The SSR sits higher, is roomier , fast w/ the LS2, hardtop convertible and looks cool. As far as parts availability, there’s a great website called Simple Engineering that has upgrades and parts that GM no longer makes.
This is an example off too soon. Used to be decades to determine their place.
Want an example the Daytona and Superbirds. Both were seen as oddities and were not popular and then 40 years in they went off the chart.
On this list the more odd the better. The Prowler and SSR will be prized in the future due to their limited nature and being really different.
The T Bird will not go much as it is just another conversation nothing really special. Good car but a bargain car like a Crossfire convertible.
The Miata is its own cult already but the Solstice and Sky will see increases. Turbo cars especially and the coupe GXP.
The Ford GT is there just do to do few. Few will ever see one less drive or own one.
The PT and HHR will see special interest in their limited models. The PT convertible band the HHR SS will see good values. I owned an SS and still not big money when I sold it with the GM tune at 300 HP. Few knew it existed and many thought I built it. You will not get rich on either but they will be good values and special.
The most over looked cars are the Pontiac G8 GXP. The GTO also still commands good values.
But all need time to mature yet. These are not instant collector cars and time will make them of more interest as cars become less interesting.
The Boomer factor is pretty much past. The new Gen is just discovering the 80’s cars and they will move in to these in time. They need to find more than an old Civic or Camry.
Just watch Radwood and see how these cars are growing. Time will only let them grow.
I concur, hyperv6, with most of what you’ve written. For me, sometimes, the more weird and different, the better. Unfortunately, with some cars it will take some time before people take notice or even figure out that these cars even existed. That’s definitely the case with my Solstice GXP Coupe.
You can look and see often many of the most rare and expensive cars were not popular to own.
The Ferrari GTO and Shelby Cobra in the 70’s and early 80’s were cheap. Dirt cheap. They were used up race cars that needed work and it was expensive. But things turned and now look.
The Superbird and Daytona were given away at the dealers and took several years to sell. Even in the 80’s they were not really loved along with a number of Mopars. Then they took off in the 90’s, My buddy had a cheap 69 Road Runner super stock. He paid nothing for it and sold it later for six figures.
The Miura, Dino and Pantera worth $15K back in 1985. My one buddy yet today reminds me of the $15K Pantera he tried to get me to buy in Collage. Or I recall the $15K Dino that was fully restored I skipped since I was in collage and was down to one car.
Every car has its time. Now none of these will get you rich but they will all show value increases like you would never see in a K car or such.
These cars attract pockets of collectors and they are added value since they create demand to a small number of cars.
Even today the Fiero is seen in a very positive light and the V6 cars no matter the year can bring more than they were new. Not many cars from the 80’s can sell for more today than new even the Corvette or Mustang.
Special cars often rise up with age and it takes time.
As for the Solstice coupe you might want to look now as they are rare and the prices already are climbing. I think yellow is the rare color. and GXP is the option you need. The original owners are now aging out and many are starting to move them now.
It’s hard to create a response that includes many vehicles and have all the contents 100% accurate. Surrounded by many exotic vehicles where I live in the 1960’s and 1970’s, I would say a good time to buy an exotic, as an under-appreciated and therefore less expensive car was the late 1960’s and the first half of the 1970’s. By the mid-1970’s, Steve Earle and historic racing was coming into play and Ferraris and AC Cobras were already leaving the realm of the common man. Values also quoted need a bit of revision. After graduate school, I began an intensive effort to buy a Miura. In 1985, a P400 and P400S were selling in the 30k – 35k range, and the SV was twice that level. I resorted to buying an immaculate, original 72 Pre-L Pantera for 26k. …. not 15k. For sure, you could find wrecks in that range (like the Rudi Klein cars)… but the reality of affordability started leaving the train station by the mid-1970s.
Well I had a very rust free unrestored Pantera for $15K offered. It even had the correct Goodyear tires on it. It was missing the engine cover in the rear. Was it perfect no but it was clean. It was far from a Rudi car. In 85 in my area Panera’s were not all that popular. Most were damaged and rusted.
A friend now has about 8 Pantera’s. He owns a number of exotic cars but he has a love for the Pantera’s styling. His cars are spotless and very expensive today.
I find that 15-20 years old is the best time to buy a car. I search for the lowest mileage highest optioned unit available. If it’s weird, it seems to take more time to increase in value. 1973 SD Trans Am was purchased in 1988 for $12,000 Cdn. My friend bout a 67 Tri power vette for $20,000 Cdn same year. A new 1988 Mustang GT Fastback was $15,000 Cdn.
I would certainly buy a a decent 2M6 for what in1985. It would need to have a Muncie 4 speed manual. It was the best driving car I have ever owned.
For most non-exotics I reckon on 35-40 years after they were manufactured they become hot again. Nostalgia meets disposable income and people want either the car they had when they were 21, or the car they lusted after.
The issue with cars that echoed the past is that they were selling nostalgia at the time, perhaps this is why there is such a low take-up of the Chevy by Gen Z and millennials when it apes a 1950’s car that has no reference point for them.
I’m with you. I like different, even weird vehicles. I presently have a1962 ranchero.
Out of the three, the only one that really still appeals to me is the SSR – and even that one not-so-much that I’d buy one. The T-Bird looked interesting, but looks aren’t everything. The Prowler turned me off immediately – but then again, I was building ACTUAL hot rods in those days.
The T-Birds seem to be popular where I live. Mainly grey hairs own them. They are affordable and certainly make nice summer cruisers.
If these particular cars weren’t on many Millennial and Gen-Z bedroom walls back when they were new, we’re not likely to see much collector demand for them in the future. Hagerty insurance data cited in this article pretty much says it all. But, time will tell and I’ll probably be off this mortal coil by then, anyway.
I am learning to never say never. Kids today grew up in min vans and Camry sedans. Not what drives a gear head.
But as they are getting older and begin to earn money I have noted they are starting to enter the auto market. I am seeing this at the cars and coffee events. .
They are not clamoring for a Camaro but it is surprising the number of Volvo, Nissan and even Porsche models sporting LS engine swaps.
They are taking the cars they grew up with and making them faster and in some ways more affordable. The Cadillac CTS models with 700 HP are becoming common too.
There are a number of import tuner cars too. They are not sitting at the root beer stand listening to Elvis but at their own events and they cross over at the cars and coffee.
They appear to take interest in interesting and different cars. They love the LS engines and even the Hemi cars too.
While it is different it is the same as we did in the 80’s vs what went on in the 50’s. We did not use Smitty mufflers. We never heard of a port a wall. We laugh when we were told of Powder Puff paint.
The numbers may be less and they may be doing things their own way but they will latch on to these odd cars because they are different and some are already fast others can be made fast.
My HHR SS ran 13’s all day with good traction and if one was crazy enough could clear 160 MPH. Dodge Calipers and other small tuner wagons will also show up in the future.
There just are no more complete tripower Pontiac intakes for $90 anymore. Yes I got a complete set up for that including air cleaners. Also got a second set of air cleaners for free. I had a Knock at finding cheap good Pontiac parts in the day.
I used to say it was over but this summer I got to some new places and saw new things that told me it was not dead just different.
Do not assume that since non of your gen love these cars the next gen may not latch on to them. Look around they are better options than many they have.
Your mention of the love of LS swaps makes me think the relatively low price of some of these vehicles could make them likely candidates for future hot rods/resto mods. Picture the T-bird with Mini Cooper headlights, engine swap or supercharger and a manual transmission. Or the Prowler with removal of the ugly bumpers and some kind of performance engine swap. Plenty of turbo/supercharged 4 and v-6s that could fit. Same with the HHR, trucks are hip and its cute baby truck. The Crossfire is a good car under a weird looking body just begging for someone to customize it. These could be the future 32 Fords or 49 Mercs.
Many have been modified. The Prowler bumper removal was a big thing when they were out to match the show car. The HHR had seen a lot of modifications to make them more vintage looking. Also many were customized for business as they were great for companies doing deliveries. I have seen several made into trucks with beds.
Right now they are not hugely collectible but you never know. One mans “Meh” is another ones “Cool”. They are all interesting to a point but I don’t think they have that market desire right now. You never know.
I’ve had a vision of a last gen Thunderbird in my head with some Torque Thrust Rims and a 6 speed manual. Just dream but that would increase the cool factor of these cars by 1000%
Agreed. Even one with a built or supercharged 4.6, 3.5 ecoboost, or good Ole 302. But any swap must have a manual.
Just saw a car from this era that will be off the charts but was forgotten for a long.
The Corvette CR6S. Pratt and Miller car. These were expensive when they arrived. They sported the body panels from the IMSA car and had a 8.2 Katech prepped engine under the hood. The interior was upgraded much also.
These cold well into the six figures but fell to $82k is the lowest reported price.
With only 7 built these are now getting back on the radar and I expect they will clime much in the near future.
It is cars like this that are true classics. They are tied tonthe corvette race team, they were fantastic cars and they are a true rare car at 7 built.
Folks car number one went to Jay Leno and he knows what is collectable.
In this day and age there are really no factory Corvettes that are really 1967 L88 rare today but this one has enough factory and race credibility to be a big buck car in the future.
Toyota FJ Cruiser has held its value very well.
I always thought the Thunderbird revival was a bold move for Ford. It was definitely a niche car, but still a comfortable drive.
The Prowler was a true “out there”vehicle. It’s too bad it didn’t have the guts to go with the look.
I thought the thunderbird would be a car to put a hot motor in the minute I saw it. I’m mostly a gm guy. I’ve owned thousands of cars, 300 a year when I was a young hot rodder and a car that was broken was 20 bucks. fix it sell it, paint it or whatever. overhead cam Pontiacs were 100 bucks, put a 302 z 28 motor in um instant hot rod. an ssr would be a great car to rebody with anything, or it would make a great sand rail.
I bought the first SSR here in Newport Beach, CA. in the Chevrolet dealer showroom. I paid a premium as I was in LOVE. It was not a great car (Truck) it overheated, and the top had problems. I still love the look. …………..Jim.